Method of particle abatement in a semiconductor processing apparatus

1 . A method of particle abatement in a semiconductor processing apparatus, the method comprising:

processing a substrate in a process chamber of the semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

loading the substrate in the process chamber, the process chamber having one or more inner surfaces;

providing a reaction gas mixture to the process chamber, thereby forming a substrate film on the substrate and a chamber wall film on the one or more inner surfaces;

loading the substrate out of the process chamber, thereby emptying the process chamber;

repeating the processing one or more times until the chamber wall film has reached a pre-determined chamber wall film thickness; and

when the chamber wall film has reached the pre-determined chamber wall film thickness, exposing the inner surfaces to an ambient, thereby modifying at least an upper portion of the chamber wall film, and

wherein modifying the upper portion further comprises, before exposing the inner surfaces to the ambient, adjusting pressure in the process chamber to atmospheric pressure.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the repeating of the processing comprises increasing a thickness of the chamber wall film until it reaches the pre-determined chamber wall film thickness.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ambient comprises an oxidizing gas.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the oxidizing gas comprises substantially elemental oxygen.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the exposing of the inner surfaces to the ambient is done at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 800° C.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate film and the chamber wall film comprise a semiconductor material and wherein the providing of the reaction gas mixture comprises providing a first reactant gas and a second reactant gas, the second reactant gas being different from the first reactant gas.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first reactant gas comprises a silicon-containing compound and the second reactant gas comprises a nitrogen-containing compound.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the providing of the first reactant gas is done at least partially simultaneously with the providing of the second reactant gas.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the process chamber is comprised in a wafer processing apparatus for processing a plurality of substrates arranged in a wafer boat.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the wafer processing apparatus is a vertical furnace.

11 . A method of particle abatement in a semiconductor processing apparatus, the method comprising:

processing a substrate in a process chamber of the semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

loading the substrate in the process chamber, the process chamber having one or more inner surfaces;

providing a reaction gas mixture to the process chamber, thereby forming a substrate film on the substrate and a chamber wall film on the one or more inner surfaces;

loading the substrate out of the process chamber, thereby emptying the process chamber;

repeating the processing one or more times until the chamber wall film has reached a pre-determined chamber wall film thickness; and

when the chamber wall film has reached the pre-determined chamber wall film thickness, exposing the inner surfaces to an ambient, thereby modifying at least an upper portion of the chamber wall film, and

wherein the substrate film and the chamber wall film have a first chemical nature and wherein the modified upper portion of the chamber wall film has a second chemical nature, the second chemical nature being different than the first chemical nature.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein modifying the upper portion further comprises, before exposing the inner surfaces to the ambient, adjusting pressure in the process chamber to atmospheric pressure.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the ambient comprises an oxidizing gas.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the oxidizing gas comprises substantially elemental oxygen.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the exposing of the inner surfaces to the ambient is done at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 800° C.

16 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the substrate film and the chamber wall film comprise a semiconductor material and wherein the providing of the reaction gas mixture comprises providing a first reactant gas and a second reactant gas, the second reactant gas being different from the first reactant gas.

17 . A method of particle abatement in a semiconductor processing apparatus, the method comprising:

processing a substrate in a process chamber of the semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

loading the substrate in the process chamber, the process chamber having one or more inner surfaces;

providing a reaction gas mixture to the process chamber, thereby forming a substrate film on the substrate and a chamber wall film on the one or more inner surfaces;

loading the substrate out of the process chamber, thereby emptying the process chamber;

repeating the processing one or more times until the chamber wall film has reached a pre-determined chamber wall film thickness; and

when the chamber wall film has reached the pre-determined chamber wall film thickness, exposing the inner surfaces to an ambient, thereby modifying at least an upper portion of the chamber wall film, and

wherein the providing of the reaction gas mixture further comprises providing a dopant precursor gas to the process chamber.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the providing of the dopant precursor gas is done simultaneously with the providing of the reaction gas mixture.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the dopant precursor gas comprises oxygen atoms.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the oxygen concentration is in a range of 2 atomic % to 50 atomic %.